Podium Cafe

The Gossip Page

2008-12-03T00:36:34Z

HTFU Edition.

It was a rough day here at the Gossip World Headquarters. All we wanted was a cup of coffee and an internet connection and THEY WOULDN'T GIVE IT TO US!

Ahem.

This Gossip business, not for the faint of heart. But we have persevered and scoured the interwebs to bring you all the Gossip that really matters, and probably a whole bunch that doesn't. It's not like we're solving world hunger or anything.

En avant, mes amis. That's French. It means, move along now, nothing to see here. (Roughly.)

The DRAMA continues. Tuesday in Spain, Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador went on Separate Rides. Not together, separate. The photographers gathered to cover the Astana training camp cried in their paella as they were denied the chance to photograph the two former Tour winners together. According to the Spanish press, the Separate Rides incident signals tension between Armstrong and Contador and the formation of Two Camps within the team, with Popovych and Leipheimer firmly on the side of Armstrong. As the Wheel Turns. According to a press release issued by Team Astana, Contador and Armstrong will train together on Wednesday. Expect smiles through gritted teeth all around.

In related news, the ASO responded to the announcement that Armstrong intended to ride the Tour de France this July with a somnolent non-comment. Eh, okay, he is coming to our race. We are trembling with excitement. Yawn. Christian Prudhomme denied that the ASO had offered Armstrong any special arrangements to ensure his safety, one of the concerns that Armstrong had trumpeted to the press in recent weeks. Said Prudhomme, "Proximity is inarguably the character of cycling in general, and the Tour de France in particular. This accessibility must certainly remain. For us as organizers, the Tour de France as a public celebration is an integral aspect of the race." Bernard Hinault publicly pou-pou'd Armstrong's comments about his personal security. Said the Badger, "He is not a President of the Republic, nor a god. If he is paranoid, that is his problem." Shorter: HTFU.

Speaking of HingTFU, the Saxo-Bank-no longer IT Boys, have been off in Denmark enjoying their team-building sufferfest. It involved cold water, guns, and walking around a lot. Astana went surfing in Southern Spain. And they got to wear booties, unlike the Saxo Bankers up in the frigid waters of Denmark. Here at the Gossip World Headquarters, we do not like cold feet. Plainly, we need to HTFU.

Stefano Fanini has signed with Fuji-Servetto as a sports director. Fanini leaves Silence-Lotto to take on the new challenge. In his sixteen years as professional, Fanini counted among his victories two stages of the Giro d'Italia, a stage of the Tour de France, and the Amstel Gold Race. Speaking of Fuji-Servetto, no further word has surfaced about the possible merger between Acqua&Sapone and Fuji-Servetto. Nor has confirmation arrived that Paolo Bettini will join either team. Mauro Gianetti has publicly denied selling the team to anyone, but admitted in a press release last weekend that he is pursuing various options to deal with the likely shunning of his team by the grand tour organizers. Those pro tour licenses, sure not what they used to be. According to a Tuesday press release from the UCI, Acqua&Sapone-Cafe Mokambo has received a Pro Continental license for next season. Did Gazzetta lie to us? It wouldn't be the first time. But perhaps the story is not yet finished.

In other Fuji-Servetto news, the U23 World Champion, Fabio Duarte of Colombia, has signed a contract with Gianetti. Gianni Savio recruited the South American climber to Diquigiovanni-Androni in 2007, but Duarte chose to return to the amateur ranks without riding out his contract. Duarte attacked repeatedly in the final lap of the road race in Varese, foiling the combined efforts of Damiano Caruso and his team-mates to secure an Italian victory. A whiff of doping scandals past marred the celebration for Duarte, though, as the press uncovered the news that the Colombian Federation had failed to investigate high testosterone levels in Duarte's test results. Duarte tested positive for testosterone in July 2007 at the Clasica de Girardot in Colombia, but he claims he has naturally high levels. At Varese, the UCI vowed to look into the matter. Hello? Anyone? Apparently, they're still looking. Or maybe they forgot. He's only the U23 World Champion and Fuji-Servetto is only a pro tour team. Not really worth the effort or anything. Nothing to see here, move along now. In other Fuji-Servetto news, Australian William Walker will also ride for the team next year. The 24 year old comes from Rabobank, where he passed a quiet season.

Speaking of Scandals past, Jörg Jacksche will ride for the Italian Continental team, Cinelli, next season. There, he will join Frank Vandenbroucke. The 32 year old Jacksche, who won Paris-Nice in 2004, has spent a long exile in the wilderness after being caught up in the Puerto scandal and speaking openly to the press about the doping practices of he had encountered in the sport. Among other things, he claimed that Bjarne Riis told him to dope. For his pains, he earned insult and opprobrium from many throughout the sport. At last he will return to racing in Italy. With Vandenbroucke as a team-mate, we doubt very much anyone will notice Jörg.

Emanuele Sella has received a one year vacation from racing from the Italian national anti-doping court. The reduced sanction - the maximum reduction allowed by the rules - came as a consequence of Sella's willingness to cooperate with the authorities. He named his team-mate Matteo Priamo as his supplier for the CERA which showed up in an out-of-competition test on 23 July. Sella will return to racing on 18 August of next year. According to reports in the Italian press, he will return to his same team, CSF-Navigare. Forgive and forget, that's what we always say. CONI has also opened an investigation of Priamo, who won the 6th stage of this year's Giro d'Italia. A recent search of Priamo's house uncovered a stash of anabolic steroids. He claimed that the steroids belonged to his mother. Our sources tell us that female body building is all the rage in Italy these days among the Mommy Set. Meanwile in Modena, Riccardo Riccò jabs more pins into his CONI doll. Despite his willingness to finger Dr. Santuccione as his source, Riccò received a two year sanction. The Modenese has since filed an appeal with TAS, in an effort to secure a shorter sanction. The decision is expected in the next three months.

Carlos Sastre has gained an ally in his quest next year to win another grand tour. According to the Spanish press, climber José Angel Gomez Marchante will ride for Cervélo TestTeam next season. In 2006, the 28 year old climber finished fifth in the Vuelta a España. Injuries have ruined the past two seasons for Gomez Marchant. Should he remain upright, Gomez Marchante promises to provide solid support to Sastre in the high mountains. José Angel Gomez Marchante should under no circumstances be confused with Angel Gomez Gomez of doodsmak fame.

Sour Milk? According to reports in the German press, Milram is considering an early end to their sponsorship, stopping their funding of the team at the end of the 2009 season. A spokesperson confirmed that the Northern German dairy company, which works with 7000 farmers, is reviewing its commitment, but refused to offer any details. The current contract runs until the end of 2010, but the sport's ongoing doping scandals and the decision of German television channels ARD and ZDF to end live coverage of the Tour de France have led executives at Milram to question the continued commitment to cycling. An enthusiastic fan within the management team, in this case marketing manager Martin Mischel, promoted the company's involvement in cycling. Mischel recently left Milram, and with his departure, the team lost its principal advocate within the company. As of now, no decision has been made, and team manager Gerry van Gerwen will meet with officials from Milram on 3 December. It also remains unclear under what terms Milram could end its contract. The team's budget is 9 million euro per year. In the case of T-Mobile, for example, Bob Stapleton received a significant buy-out payment from the German telecommunications giant. Leenoos Gerdemann, who recently signed a two year contract with Milram after buying out the remaining year with Team Columbia, hopes that Milram will fulfill their two year agreement. He believes that the young and "homogeneous" roster at the team, which has become more German during the recent transfer season, will help make cycling appealing to sponsors again. Hopefully, Leenoos will not be left crying over spilt milk in udder disappointment.

In happier news, fans of German cycling can rejoice in the resurrection of the Rund um den Henninger Turm. Threatened with extinction by the withdrawal of its title sponsor, a restaurant, the local government in Frankfurt has decided to sponsor the race. The Rund (which is totally different from a Rundfahrt) typically takes place around 1 May, following the Ardennes classics. Karsten Kroon won last year's edition.

Fränk Schleck has a hot date with ALAD. The Luxembourg Anti-Doping Agency is continuing to investigate the possible relationship between Schleck and Dr. Fuentes. Schleck reportedly paid 6.991,91 Euro into the Swiss account of Fuentes, a payment he claims bought training plans, not doping products. ALAD met with Schleck previously in October, but did not have sufficient information to reach a decision. Schleck will appear at a hearing on 9 December. No word yet as to what if any sanctions the agency may be considering.

Gratuitous Benna News! The Bennati Fan Club will host a party honoring their favorite bike racer on 7 December at the Hotel Planet di Rigutino. Benna will be in attendance. Girls, book your flights now. Other riders will also attend. We won't bore you will the whole list. Benna's successes and career highlights will be shown a big screen teevee. Did I mention Benna will be there? We must watch carefully for photos of this very important event.

A prize for Il Grillo! On 9 December, Paolo Bettini will receive a prize from the International Association of Cycling Journalists. The prize recognizes the rider who has shown the best attitude toward the press. Among those nominated for their willlingness to answer endless questions were Alejandro Valverde, Philippe Gilbert, and Erik Zabel. The criteria for the award includes "professional qualities," "respect for ethics," and above all a good relationship with the press. Chapeau to Bettini!

TelTeck-H20 will ride Museeuw bikes for the next three seasons. The Belgian pronounced himself pleased with the agreement. He also said he would provide technical assistance to the team when they race in Beligium. The bikes are apparently made of a carbon-flax fibre weave, which promises to provide enhanced riding comfort and shock-absorbing capabilities. Want to know more or drool on the bikes? Head over to the the webby and have a look.

Phew. That's all for now. This off-season Gossiping is a rough business. Uphill both ways. In the SNOW!

Lates!

Battenkill Pushes for Prime April Date

2008-12-02T22:29:58Z

Weird, seems like only yesterday I was ranting about the lack of a true American Classic to complement our national history of running some pretty fair stage races. Along comes Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), fresh off shepherding the Democrats' senate campaign, to lobby USA Cycling to make the Tour of the Battenkill a major pro destination. The Tour of the Battenkill is a one-day event in/near Cambridge, NY, close to Albany and the Vermont border. Schumer's letter is simply to ask USA Cycling to include the Battenkill in the UCI America Tour, after an initial request was rejected for being late and insufficiently detailed.

Currently, they run a 200-km pro race over some interesting terrain: undulating country roads, significant stretches of dirt track, covered bridges, and regular ramps of 15-18% grade. The pro race is set for April 19 (amateurs, get your applications in for the other categories ASAP). From the VN piece, it appears that the promoter wants to take advantage of the Tour de Georgia's hiatus/disappearance and nab some prime April calendar realty. This dovetails nicely with the course's charismatic nature, fittingly just a week after Paris-Roubaix. Put it all together and presto! An American Classic.

Some caveats: first, the race is only five years old, so comparisons to Paris-Roubaix are a tad premature. Monte Paschi Eroica would be more suitable. Secondly, it's a 100-km circuit, not a single course, so it'd be a matter of laps... though if they wanted to increase the difficulty they could add at least part of another lap. Finally, I don't want to question USA Cycling's judgment; just because Schumer (or one of his LAs) is willing to do some constituent service doesn't mean elevating the race is a good idea. But it bears watching. An upstate NY classic in April might not draw the full European slate, but with enough money and a strong domestic draw this could become a pretty large event.

UCI Announces Pro Continental Teams

2008-12-02T19:42:22Z

The UCI has announced today the teams who have received Pro Continental licenses for the 2009 season. Five teams were denied licenses, due to unspecified irregularities. They have until Friday, 5 December to appeal the decision. The five are: Rock Racing, H2O, LPR Brakes, Amica Chips (Martinelli's new team), Murcia-Contentpolis AMPD. According to this press release, it appears that Rock Racing applied for a Pro Conti license after all, but so far, the UCI has not granted them a license. In the United States, BMC is the only team who has received a Pro Continental license.

Have a look at the press release for the full list.

Quicky Update: Podium In Sight gives us the explanation for the denial of Rock Racing's application. According to an interview Ball granted to Bicycling Magazine, the team put in an application, then decided against completing the process. Ball reportedly did not see much chance of securing invites to the Giro d'Italia or other major races, given the many other teams trying to get in the door (true dat!), and decided to save his cash. The team will revisit the decision next season.

Gieten superprestige report

2008-12-01T23:29:48Z

first: the route. This is the Netherlands, in the province of Drenthe. It is FLAT, with hints of glacial morraine. The start/finish was a (the?) main street in the little village of Gieten.

After a brief paved straightaway, racers go over a little dirt speedbump onto a dirt path,

From Gieten Superprestige

Follow along on the flip!

then cross a brick path (notice large inflatable rabo jersey)

From Gieten Superprestige

back onto dirt, along asphalt, onto dirt and grass. After that, there's a modest hill (perhaps 3-5%), and the route wiggles up and down that hill like a kid's board game.

From Gieten Superprestige

Next, a nice narrow turn drops them onto a road, then UP the other side. (This is where we stayed for photo purposes.) After that, there's a brick path...

From Gieten Superprestige

up to a contorted figure 8 where they have built a "hill" out of two ramps,

From Gieten Superprestige

and routed the path over them, but also under them. (Visualize Hot Wheels tracks, here.) Next, they crest the hill, by the beer tent.

The team people are downtown. Serious-faced men in caps, with faces that would fit right in at a horse-race track, are speaking with marked Belgian accents--low and intensely to each other, loudly and expressively to passing cars and into cell phones. Out along the course, we see TV cameras EVERYWHERE, a full barrier system, and professional course monitors, and lots of professional touches. The pros mostly have two bikes each, which they trade off at the powerwash station whenever the dirt gets problematic. By a few laps into the race, many of the bikes are suddenly, startlingly cleaner than the riders themselves. When a root is unearthed and cut loose by churning wheels, an observant course monitor rushes out between clumps of riders to yank it out of the way, lest it get in anyone's spokes. It's a very civilized version of filthy, exhausting "fun."

At the top of the hill, there is a large outdoor TV screen, a giant beer tent playing Euro-pop and middle-of-the road hits of the 70's (suddenly trendy again?) and a herring stand which effectively stops our course reconnoiter until it's time for the race to start. The inside of the beer tent seems to be off-limits to TV cameras, and there's not much else to film along the course between races, so one of the bored, Belgian TV cameramen is delighted to take a picture of the Podium Cafe "Get well" sign. "You were on live TV in Belgium" he calls to us, and we're pretty thrilled.

The weather is mud, with a background of freezing fog early on, a brief touch of sleet, and then some pellet-like snow. The ground, however, does not get anywhere close to freezing. The pasture (that's what it is the rest of the year) is well-supplied with cow flops of recent and runny character. (That's true for the spectator areas, at least. Were they ceremoniously removed from the course itself by a serious-faced flop-removal team, or merely ground into the rest of the glacial clay and rich loam by the wheels of the women and juniors? Come early yourself, next year, and find out.) For you actual cross racers, I'd describe the mud quality as "the sort that a kid could happily squish between his or her toes for hours, on a warm summer day." Fluffier than clay, but very nearly as fine-grained, with some extra, organic sticking power. All mingled with slick, 8 inch long wet grass.

Mysteriously, it's very easy to see sunlight at the race. One has only to look at the giant TV screen, where the magic of the TV cameras has somehow cast a golden glow on the entire scene. Wouldn't it be nice if they could run the process in reverse? (Ah, but then, it wouldn't be cross.) The Mayor declares, afterwards, that the weather this year was much better than last year--but last year was absolutely horrible.

We missed the Juniors race and newbies / women's race. (A real slap in the face for women, they are sent off two minutes after the "newbies." If you're a fantastic woman cross racer, you get to fight through the dregs of the never-evers. If you're on the weak end of the women's field, you get the fastest and most driven of the newbies charging through your field. As for the newbies? It's presumably just as dangerous for them as it is for the women.)

We made the last 20 minutes of the "U23 / hot young talents" (Beloften) race. A lot of determination on show. At least one of them was too frozen to his bike at the end to clip out, and collapsed, still attached. Many others were nearly as far gone. Motherly women (probably their mothers) ran out to get jackets and warmup pants onto uncooperative limbs. Tom Meeusen, the Belgian U23 champ, was cornered by a media dude with more cameras and lenses than Sui, and managed to strike a nonchalant pose. The podium included a first-time podium success for Petrus (a Czech), who got particular applause. (There are quite a few Czechs and Poles and Swiss in the lower ranks... instead of camper vans, their team cars seem to be the family car, with a rack on the back and a decal on the hood.) A near-crash of riders and moms and spectators happened when two local fellows, well back in the pack, came in together in a dead sprint with almost no brakes. (Guys, today the race ends at the flags, not the sign at the end of the road.) The announcer, with foresight and insight, told everyone to make a channel for locals "coming in hot." Podium: Van Compernolle (BE-Sunweb); Mitchell Huenders (NL-Asisto); Lubomir Petrus (CZ-Palmans).

The main race:

Missing Lars Boom, the Rabo guys sent (allowed? produced?) a rabbit in the early laps (De Knegt, I think). I counted him about 10 seconds up on the field on the 1st lap, and still going strong on the 2nd lap. Groenendaal (#7) was at or near the front for a few laps at the beginning, but then something mysterious happened. Apparently something bad enough to send him to the end of the "top-20," and also bad enough so that, at the end of the race, he turned around at the finish, and rode away from the reporters, as they called his name and ran after him.

By the 4th or 5th lap, the contenders were sorting themselves out, and the "hares" were dropping back: the order through "our" spot was Klaas Vantornout (#5), Sven Nys (#2, name mis-spelled in the program, a nice touch!) and Bart Wellens (#3) [and another view to spare]--the contenders--then De Knegt (#6), Christian Heule (#27) and Dieter Vanthourenhout (#16). Two laps later, it was Vantornout, large gap, Bart Wellens, small gap, Sven Nys, large gap, then a group of 14, and a couple of stragglers, then a long gap to the also-rans. Due to mishaps, the precise lead switched a few times, but the eventual top 3 remained the same. At one point Vantornout stopped or crashed, and the announcers were screaming and shouting--een Drama, for sure--but Wellens was not able to pass. There was also a lot of hand-wringing over Nys's incredible closing speed--would he be close enough on the final, paved straightaway to steal the race? But this was not to be. In fact, Nys spent the race looking very choppy and frenetic, and a bit worn down. Maybe that's just his style, or maybe he would also benefit from a UTI and a couple of weeks off the circuit. (No, I do NOT wish that on anyone.)

Final podium: Vantornout, Wellens, Nys.

From Gieten Superprestige ">

A bunch of Vervecken fans (red jackets--cheering for Nys? For Vantournout?) joined the Bart and Geert Wellens fans (navy blue jackets) in standing on the base of the barriers. The Flemish Lion flags were flying as the snow pellets pinged down and the light faded.

Honorable mentions: if determination alone won these things, take a look at the face of Geert Wellens. Teams: Fidea got 5 times the mentions of any other team. Nys had the ultimate tour bus. Bikes: we saw a lot of "different" bike brands, most of them really re-branded Ridleys (or so said the guys washing them after the race). Here are a couple of them. (Can I say, I really regret missing the kids race?)

P.S. the local hotel, the Braams, fed us royally and housed us nicely for relatively little money. The windmill next door is very scenic. You can bike in a day to 3 or 4 sets of prehistoric ruins, or "hunebed." Bike rentals at the train station in Assen are ~$9 a day--and the hotel has bikes too. Finally, if we'd really had our act together, we could have caught the end of a 6-day race in Zuidlaren.

Thought of the Day

2008-12-02T15:10:33Z

Anybody else got a lame photo caption? Go ahead... make my day...

We'll always remember Comment-gate '08. Until then, this thread is open.

The Worldwide Loser [+ update]

2008-12-02T01:17:33Z

Here's a screenshot from the self-proclaimed "Worldwide Leader in Sports" today:

The caption:

U.S. cyclist Lance Armstrong, right, walks with an unidentified member of his team after a training session...

"Unidentified"?!? Does this help? Still drawing a blank? How about this? Still nothing?

This is inexcusable. It's Levi Fucking Leipheimer, the first, second and only American to ever ascend the podium of the Vuelta a Espana. The third fourth American to ever stand on the Podium in Paris (officially). The present Olympic Bronze medalist. The only American to ever win the Deutschland Tour. The twice-winner of the Tour of California. Maybe the caption was written by some random service that auto-loads on the ESPN website, but I demand a correction. Also, if it sounds like I'm overreacting, 1) it's my job to overreact when Cycling gets dissed, and 2) it's ESPN's job to gain some basic awareness of America's greatest athletes.

[h/t Majope]

Update, by Chris: ESPN responds to Majope, who kicks ass today:

Thank you for contacting us.

I reviewed the photo and see the source is AP (Associated Press). Because ESPN does not own the photo, we do not have the ability to update the photo or caption. Please contact the Associated Press with your request. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Shorter ESPN: we were just following orders. Nice.

Lance just announced on twitter...

2008-12-01T20:08:51Z

he is riding the tour - shocker - Amazing power of that little app eh? Apparently it was the interview he did with the AP this weekend. So I need 75 words now - how come others can post without 75 words? I am only at twenty words but really wanted the fine readers at Podium Cafe to know that it just popped up on twitter. Given that I now have to come up with 20 more words there will probably be 3 posts already on this subject.

Update, by Chris: Some links:

Lance's Twitter

The AP story with the scoop

Pimp My Ride

2008-12-01T19:01:10Z

Am I too old for Wheeltags? Also, why no Wheeltags in the peloton? OK, weight weenies, I know, but you'd think Rock Racing would be ready to do something about this.

Tangled Web: Fuji-Servetto and Acqua&Sapone Close to Merger

2008-12-01T18:56:18Z

Gazzetta dello Sport reports today that Gianetti's Fuji-Servetto and Masciarelli's Acqua&Sapone are set to merge. Paolo Bettini will take over as manager of the new formation. According to Gazzetta, a verbal agreement exists to pursue the merger, but it is not yet finalized.

The three principals met in Chiasso, Switzerland, Saturday, to discuss the plan. Gazzetta reports that there were some disagreements at the Chiasso meeting, but they are described as "not serious." Palmiro Masciarelli, who currently manages Acqua&Sapone is prepared to step aside in Bettini's favor, and seems to be the strongest proponent of the idea. Mauro Gianetti is less enthusiastic, but the doping scandals of Leonardo Piepoli and Riccardo Riccò limit his options. Already, the grand tour organizers have signaled their reluctance to include Gainetti's new Fuji-Servetto in their races, despite the team's pro tour status. Gazzetta speculates the Fernando Matxin will also need to step back from his management role, if the team is to regain credibility.

Paolo Bettini would certainly have his work cut out for him in taking over the "Scandal Team" of Gianetti. The sponsors no doubt hope that the well-regarded former World Champion can open the doors that for now appear tightly closed. Bettini will reportedly meet with the Giro d'Italia organizers this week to sound them out on the possibility of an invite to their Centenary race. Bettini is well-regarded in Spain, and would likely find the Vuelta organizers open to his approach. But the gates to the Tour de France will almost certainly remain closed.

Though Bettini will face a difficult task in re-establishing the team's credibility, if such a thing is possible, taking on the management role will join him with several old friends. Both Luca Paolini and Stefano Garzelli are close friends with Bettini, and currently ride for Acqua&Sapone. Another long-time friend, Andrea Tonti, recently signed on to ride for Fuji-Servetto. Bettini told Gazzetta, "The alliance of the two... could give great satisfaction." He also said he would likely take an active role in the team. "I want to do the things that I know to do, like in races." So, "a captain, not a player," concludes Gazzetta.

As Gazzetta makes clear, the deal is not yet signed and sealed. The principal obstacle appears to be the question of ensuring that the team will be allowed to ride the Giro d'Italia, and perhaps also the Vuelta a España. The Italian races have long been open to Acqua&Sapone, so the new team should have a full schedule. But without the grand tours, they would remain distinctly second tier, which would no doubt disappoint the new sponsors. Indeed, it is not out of the question that the merger and management change are a consequence of demands made in the sponsorship agreement. Unfortunately, no details on those agreements are available. With Gianetti and Matxin at the helm, Fuji-Servetto is unlikely to enjoy the benefits of its pro tour license. Acqua&Sapone has spent the last two seasons left out of the Giro d'Italia. They would desperately like to come in from the cold. The addition of Paolo Bettini, well-liked in Italy, appears to solve these problems. At the same time, it will likely take a season or several before the memories of the team's past scandals are erased.

Cyclocross Corner

2008-12-01T18:24:03Z

Another exciting cyclocross weekend in the Low Countries, unfortunately, I was in California, so I had to watch football instead. There was a World Cup race on Saturday in Koksijde, Belguim, known for long plentiful sandy sections. Sunday was a Superprestige race in Gieten, Netherlands, held in typical muddy conditions.

But first I'll recap from the previous weekend with a GVA-Trofee race in Hasselt, Belguim and a Superprestige in Hamme-Zogge, Belguim. The NACT also rapped up in the Hamptons.

Bart Wellens won GVA-Trofee #4, GP Van Hasselt, giving him his first win of the season. Kevin Pauwels got second and Rob Peeters third, with Erwin Vervecken and Sven Nys, in fourth and fifth, respectively. Fidea almost swept the podium, if Rob Peeters hadn't come out of nowhere.

The following day was Superprestige #4, in Hamme-Zogge, where conditions were snowy. Nys won the race in commanding fashion, with Klaas Vantornout, and Wellens filling out the podium. If you watch any highlight, this is the one, it makes me want to race in the snow, but only for one or two laps, not the whole hour.

What happened in America last weekend, you ask. The last two NACT (North American Cyclocross Trophy) races at the Whitmore's Landscaping Super Cross Cup. Ryan Trebon won ahead of Jeremy Powers and Todd Wells on Saturday securing the NACT title to Trebon. Sunday went to Wells with Jamey Driscoll and Trebon, second and third respectively. Unfortunately, Tim Johnson could not compete for the NACT overall because of a knee injury from the previous weekend. Barry Wicks was also absent, he was in Japan competing in the Kansai cross, where he placed second to Japanese National Champion Keiichi Tsujiura.

Now for our most current weekend. World Cup #4, in Koksijde, was in very sandy conditions. There were five deep sand sections, which makes for a lot of running. This is Vervecken's element and he won here for the fifth time, narrowingly beating Nys in a sprint. Zdenek Stybar came in third.

In the women's race, Katie Compton beat the current World Champion, Hanka Kupfernagel in a sprint, with Daphny Van Den Brand securing third. Kupfernagel led Compton onto the finishing straight, where Compton jumped around her for the win. Kupfernagel still leads the World Cup standings with Van Den Brand in second and Pavla Havlikova in third. Compton has moved up to seventh, giving her a front line start for the World Championships, assuming she maintains or improves her standing.

Sunday, November 30, 2008, was Superprestige #5 in Gieten, Netherlands. Here Vantornout beat Wellens in a sprint, with Nys taking the last podium place. Wellens and Nys were riding together towards the end of the race with Vantournot ahead. Vantornout crashed and Wellens bridged, but it cost him too much energy for the sprint.

What were the Americans doing this weekend? A variety of things. The Wells brothers, Todd and Troy, competed in Jingle Cross Rock on both days, with Troy beating the elder Wells on Saturday and Todd beating Andy Jacques-Maynes on Sunday. Jamey Driscoll won the Baystate Cyclocross.

Injury Updates:

You may have asked yourself, where was Lars Boom, the current World Champion these past races? Well, he's been out with a Urinary Tract Infection and his doctor thought it best he wait another week before racing.

Neils Albert is still out with his ruptured spleen. Hopefully they both saw the "Get Well" sign that JFS_PGH was taking to Gieten.

I've included some highlights from sporza.be, go to the links and click on wedstrijdverslag for the highlights. Some races also have the last lap, click on laatste ronde.

Riis Loses Sponsor to Bankruptcy

2008-12-01T08:17:10Z

Danish media is reporting this morning that the incoming sponsor IT Factory has filed for bancruptcy. The company's chairman Asger Jensby confirms the news. The CEO is apparently wanted by Interpol for economic fraud and has gone missing after a holiday in Dubai.

Bjarne Riis has not commented on the news so far but you can bet he isn't smiling right now. The timing isn't very fortunate considering that there is a team presentation scheduled for today.

Link to danish politiken.dk

Update (Chris): VN has more, including a picture of the guy who embezzled all the money (seen me lately?) and confirmation from Riis. "We need to go out and find a new sponsor," Riis said. "The team won't shut down."

Napolitano Russian Bound

2008-12-01T03:53:08Z

The speedy Italian sprinter Danilo Napolitano is heading to Team Katyusha for the 2009 cycling season, according to radsport-news. The Italian had 6 wins for Lampre this year, his biggest win to date was a stage at the 2007 Giro. Napolitano will join fellow sprinters, Robbie McEwen and Gert Steegmans at a loaded Katyuscha squad. Katyusha's 09 roster should look something like this:

BRUTT Pavel, IGNATIEV Mikhail, PETROV Evgeni, ROVNY Ivan, SEROV Alexander, TRUSSOV Nikolai, BODROGI Laszlo, BOTCHAROV Alexandre, COLOM MAS Antonio, DEHAES Kenny, HORRACH RIPPOLL Joan, IVANOV Serguei, KARPETS Vladimir, MARKOV Alexei, MCEWEN Robbie, NAPOLITANO Danilo, PFANNBERGER Christian, POZZATO Filippo, STEEGMANS Gert, SWIFT Ben, VANDENBERGH Stijn

(via. cqranking)

Update, by Gav: The 31 year old sprinter Angelo Furlan will take Napolitano's spot on the Lampre roster, according to today's press reports.

Lost in Translation

2008-11-29T23:30:25Z

We see cases all the time of mangled translations in the English-language press. And we heckle when appropriate, natch.

Here is a bit of a head-scratcher from the Italian press:

"Tom Danielson, Captain of Garmin for the Giro and Tour," headlines tuttobiciweb. The article continues, "Tom Danielson is one of the big, promising talents in American cycling, but ... it is true that he has not won a race since 2006, when he won a stage of the Vuelta a España." He is approaching the 2009 season with "grand ambitions," concentrating especially on the early part of the season. The article goes on to list races such as Tour of California and Pais-Vasco as numbering among his objectives. He will then ride the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, they report. Danielson "who will be the team leader for Garmin-Chipotle in these races," writes tuttobiciweb, said that it is important for him and for the team that he achieve good results.

Now, I love me some tuttobiciweb. They're quick. They're usually accurate. And they're Italian. But they seem not to know their Team Garmin so well. Christian Vandevelde, who? Never mind that Danielson has yet to finish either the Giro d'Italia or the Tour de France. Perhaps the Italian journalists simply know something we don't know.

Bow Down To Your CQ Overlord

2008-11-29T23:29:15Z

The other day I was tooling around Cycling Quotient (Too bad CQ isn't a MMO. That would be cool.) and I realized that they post five years of stats for each rider. See here for instance. Actually though they have seven years of stats- you have to click on the lowest "Results" to get the years 2003 and 2002.

So I decided to figure out which rider has earned the most points during both the last five and last seven years- it's two different riders. So before I give you a top-25 listing I'll give you pictures of five possible riders. Could it be:

via www.moonbattery.com

Or:

via www.lancelhoff.com

Or, jump!

Or:

via asab.icapb.ed.ac.uk

via www.dueporti.it

Or maybe...

via tintintribute.com

Which guy?

Last 5 Year Ranking	Points	Last 7 Year Ranking	Points
1. Boonen	8888	1.Valverde	11249
2. Cunego	8148	2. Bettini	10652
3. Valverde	8118	3. Zabel	10386
4. Rebellin	7890	4. Rebellin	10243
5. Bettini	7451	5. Boonen	9556
6. Zabel	6932	6. Petacchi	8567
7. Freire	6719	7. Cunego	8234
8. Petacchi	6467	8. Di Luca	8170
9. Evans	6450	9. McEwen	8144
10. McEwen	6333	10. Freire	7993
11. Di Luca	6160	11. Evans	7034
12. Contador	5630	12. Armstrong	6628
13. Jens!	5616	13. Jens!	6134
14. Leipheimer	5615	14. Leipheimer	6068
15. Hushovd	5565	15. Vinokourov	6055
16. Cancellara	5501	16. Hushovd	5913
17. Sanchez	5407	17. Sanchez	5905
18. F Schleck	5340	18. Cancellara	5844
19. Menchov	5186	19. O'Grady	5727
20. Sastre	4679	20. Contador	5637
21. Gilbert	4621	21. Basso	5633
22. Kirchen	4543	22. Sastre	5630
23. Basso	4348	23. Menchov	5571
24. Ballan	4188	24. F Schleck	5438
25. Bennati	4112	25. Boogerd	5225

Some notes:

- Amazing how static the two lists are: Most riders are around the same ranking on both lists with the main differences being a) retired riders listed on the seven year list (Boogerd, Vino, HWMNBN) dropping off the 5 year list and b) Contador (moving up 8 spots) and Frank Schleck (moving up 6 spots). BTW Kirchen is 26th on the 7 year list while Gilbert is 30th on the same list. I thought there would be a few more old guys on the 7 year list but outside of Mancebo (27th) and Garzelli (30th) recently retired riders are nowhere near the top 25.

- I am a little surprised how the top sprinters are so prominent here. Boonen, Zabel, Petacchi, Freire, and McEwen are all in the top 10 in both lists. After the Big Five you see no other sprinter other than # 15/16 Hushovd until #25 on the 5 year list, Benna sigh, or O'Grady, #19 on the 7 year list (and no one after Stewy). That's quite a gap and it shows how dominant the top sprinters have been. Its also worth noting with these sprinters is that they aren't so dominant in VDS though they are valued. The difference here is that some sprinters races likes Paris-Brussels, aren't scored in VDS.

- Nevertheless I expected the Ardennes guys to be a little more dominant in the top 10. That didn't happen but look at the whole top 25 in either list. Besides the sprinters,there are only three stage racing goat types, three riders who don't (or haven't yet) show the speed to finish off a hilly classic- but do show consistent and mega climbing ability: Menchov and teammates Contador and Leipheimer. The rest can and are good at the Classics- yes even HWMNBN at least early in his career.

- And then there's Jens!- a category all his own.

- Valverde is just so damn consistent. Even though he's only 3rd on the 5 year list he has the highest average yearly placing: 5th. In those five years, the Green Bullet finished 1, 3, 2, 14 and 5. He's the only one in the last five years to finish outside of the top ten only once. Boonen's average is 6.8th place. Tin Tin's 10th. Cunego: also 10th. Alejandro Valverde: your CQ Overlord.

Gieten tomorrow (was: I may be at Gieten)

2008-11-16T08:02:44Z

I will scrawl "Podium Cafe" on a T-shirt and take a picture. Gieten is part of the Superprestige cyclocross series, so I hope that means Nys, Boom, and Niels Albert. I will be rooting for Boom, because Nys always wins. [update: Boom still recovering from the 'flu, so I don't know whom I should root for. I will have a "get well Niels" sign... could add "and Lars, too, quickly!". Reminder to PdC members: get your flu shot.]

Now, logistics.

Driving in the Netherlands? Hope to avoid that. Assen looks to be about 15 km from Gieten, more or less (depending on where the actual course is). Groningen looks more like 25 km. I found directions to Assen (and they don't even say, "take both hands, reach back.") They include train and bike rental info. However, it appears the train station bike rental will be closed on Sunday. [update: I think (?) we have a hotel room for the evening, and a lead on bikes. Weather is supposed to be freezing mist. Sounds perfect for cross, don't it?]

Anyone happen to know of other bike rental options in Assen? Anyone happen to be familiar with the path, track or bike lane between Assen and Gieten? I figure the way back will be thick with drunk cyclists, but I'd like to know if there will be car traffic to contend with at the same time. Or is there a regular bus, or a special bus bus going to Gieten / Aa en Hunze because of the race?

Finally, who's the beer sponsor at the beer tent for the Superprestige series?

Milram: Cold Feet

2008-11-28T19:44:57Z

A newspaper in Frankfurt, via VeloNews, is reporting that Team Milram's title sponsor is looking for an exit strategy from the two years remaining on their contract with the cycling team, citing the usual German fear of doping. I don't like to paint with too broad a brushstroke, but it does seem that every institution of consequence with roots in Germany is lashing out at the sport these days, so I suppose the Milram dairy company's latest move is no surprise. Making matters worse is Stefan Schumacher's ongoing crusade against his own doping disgrace. Schmacher continues to insist on his innocence, now threatening to send his lawyers on the offensive. Since I can't look inside his soul, I guess we don't know for sure if he's guilty, but so far he's about 99% unconvincing.

The danger in all of this is twofold: first, German cycling, which is nothing to sneeze at, is on increasingly shaky terms. Second, the void will be filled if and when Milram departs... but by whom? I personally worry that interest in Europe seems to be growing more in the eastern bloc countries, and not to besmirch the character of half a continent, but the history of sports doping in the old Soviet sattelites (and USSR too) is ugly. Worse, the attitude of the Kazakh federation in the Vinokourov case makes me worry that new-to-cycling countries don't fully appreciate the situation. In any event, Milram runs a reputable program, so the only way from here is down.

Amgen Tour of California: Team Speculation

2008-11-28T00:49:59Z

With the 2009 ProTour team lineup announced, it seems like the appropriate time to start speculating on who's likely to show up at the Amgen Tour of California.

Last year, 17 teams participated in the eight-day (prologue and seven stages), 670-mile race: Astana (LUX), Bissell Pro Cycling Team (USA), BMC Racing Team (USA), Bouygues Telecom (FRA), Credit Agricole (FRA), Gerolsteiner (GER), Health Net Presented by Maxxis (USA), High Road Sports (GER), Jelly Belly Cycling Team (USA), Kelly Benefit Strategies/Medifast (USA), Quick Step (BEL), Rabobank Cycling Team (Netherlands), Rock Racing (USA), Saunier Duval-Scott (ESP), Team CSC (DEN), Team Slipstream Powered by Chipotle (USA) and Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team (USA).

This year's race will begin on a Saturday and include nine stages (Feb. 14-22), with precise routes and race distances yet to be announced.

A 16-team line-up is expected for 2009. At least one team (Astana) is a lock. With a 2.HC categorized rating, you can expect eight ProTour teams in this year's field. Let the speculation begin.

The Cat and the Lion: Gatto to ISD

2008-11-27T16:50:48Z

Young Italian sprinting talent Oscar Gatto will ride for ISD next season. With the folding of team Gerolsteiner, Gatto ended up without a contract and over the last few weeks, increasingly dispaired of finding a job for next season. Rumor had connected him with Mauro Gianetti's new team, Fuji-Servetto. In a press conference today, he confirmed that he will ride for the Italian team ISD next season.

At ISD, Gatto will benefit from the experience of Mario Cipollini, il Re Leone, and long-time Cipollini gregario, Luca Scinto, who has signed on as a sports director. Cipollini is looking forward to working with the young talent, saying that he wants to work with Gatto like a "professor and student." During the press conference earlier this month announcing his involvement with the team, Cipollini had said he wanted to sign a sprinter. With Gatto, he has certainly gotten his wish.

Gatto describes himself as a sprinter who can also get over the short climbs, and is hoping that Cipollini and Scinto can help him develop his speed and power. In 2006, riding for Zalf as an U23, Gatto won 13 races, more than any other Italian rider. His record as a junior was still more impressive. Born in 1985, Gatto is one of the more promising talents on the Italian scene, though he has yet to deliver a big result in the pro ranks. By all accounts, his two years at Gerolsteiner were not especially happy ones, and he is reportedly pleased to be returning to an Italian team. He is only 23 years old. He has time on his side, and now also, the deep experience of one of the sport's most successful sprinters, Mario Cipollini.

Source: tuttobiciweb.it

Contador Gobbles Up The 2008 Golden Bike Award

2008-11-27T16:44:14Z

The Vélo d'Or, THE end of season award in cycling, was just won by The Accountant for the second year in a row. I happen to love this award as I love all of these types of end of season awards that are decided by journalists. To me these types of awards (MVP awards, Golden Boot for Euro soccer player of the year, etc.) tracked over the years, tends to give a good snapshot of who is dominating their given sport during any time period.

But these awards show more than just which player is at the top of his/her game, they also show a maturity in the sport, and a sense that the sport has a certain level of infrastructure in the society that its based in. That Velo magazine can get a bunch of cycle journalists from different countries to vote for rider of the year is not as simple as it sounds. It implies that there is sufficient interest in the sport from the public allowing the publication and selling of enough cycling magazines in turn providing jobs for enough journalists who can concentrate on following the sport we love 24/7.

The history of the Golden Bike also shows that cycling is a new sport. Its much younger than the larger, more established sports, going back only to '92. Yeah I know that various races are 100 years old or more. Most every sport today goes back 100 years or more, sometimes much more. But there's always a gap between when the sport was first thought up and having the infrastructure built so that millions of people can enjoy watching the best participants excel and for cycling that gap is quite long. And its interesting that In spite of the doping scandals, cycling has seriously grown in the past 50 years, allowing it to move beyond a provincial Euro thing to a worldwide sport, followed by millions. And it continues to grow as blogs like this one attest. Speaking of blogs...

Having said these high faluttin words, the Golden Bike of course comes after our award of Rider of the Year and its interesting to see how closely we agree once you throw out the differences between the awards: The Podium Cafe voting included women cyclists, while Velo magazine's award includes cross, track, and mountain bikers as well- but no women evidently. Here's how the voting went for both awards:

Velo Mag Ranking	Velo Points	Podium Cafe Ranking	PdC Points
1.Contador	72	1.Contador	163
2. Cancellara	47	2. Cancellara	114
3. Sastre	36	3. Cavendish	48
4. Valverde	34	4. Vandevelde	20
5. Cavendish	31	5. Valverde	16
6. Ballan	21	6. Cunego	14
7. Cunego	8	7. Gilbert	10
8. Boonen	6	8. Sastre	7
9. Gilbert	4	9. Ballan	1

Obviously PdC has an America/English bias; that's to be expected. Otherwise the voting is similar. Maybe they just copied us. ;)

So who might win next year?

Your 2009 Pro Tour Lineup

2008-11-27T00:31:25Z

A couple days ago the UCI helpfully announced that seven new teams had been invited to join the Pro Tour. I spent about an hour trying to find the remaining nine, starting (foolishly) with the UCI Pro Tour website, to no avail. But Cycling News has come through with the final list, including two last inclusions, bringing the total to 18:

AG2R - La Mondiale (Fra)
Astana (Kaz)
BBox Bouygues Telecom (Fra)
Caisse d'Epargne (Spa)
Cofidis (Fra)
Euskaltel-Euskadi (Spa)
Française des Jeux (Fra)
Garmin-Slipstream (USA)
Katyusha (Rus)
Lampre-N.G.C. (Ita)
Liquigas (Ita)
Team Milram (Ger)
Quick Step (Bel)
Rabobank (Ned)
Fuji-Servetto (Spa)
Saxo Bank - IT Factory (Den)
Silence-Lotto (Bel)
Team Columbia (USA)

No real surprises here. Credit Ag and Gerolsteiner are gone. CSC is Saxo; Saunier Duval is Fuji; Katyusha and Garmin are newcomers. Wasn't 18 the number several of us were suggesting about three years ago, when Pat McQuaid went nuclear on the grand tours and added Astana and Barloworld?